NAME
Getopt::CallingName - Script duties delegation based upon calling name
SYNOPSIS
use Getopt::CallingName;
call_name(
prefix => 'tv_',
args => \@my_array,
);DESCRIPTION
Sometimes you can have a script that can run in two or more 'modes' of operation. Apart from an option to specify the mode, the command line options are the same/very similar. Much of the code used by the various modes is common.
As an application user interface decision, it may be more useful/helpful to be able to call the script by two or more names - i.e. one for each mode. This cuts out the command line option for specifying the mode.
In some cases it might be appropriate just to move all the code, or at least all the common code, into a module and have separate wrapper perl scripts. The problem with this approach is either you end up duplicating command line option handling in each of the wrapper scripts or you end up moving the command line option handling into a module also. The former case introduces maintenance burden [or perhaps an excuse to use TT2 to generate your wrappers ;-)]. The latter case can feel like a distortion/displacement of the code.
Getopt::CallingName provides another alternative. The idea is that you create symbolic links to your actual script (which you might want to give a generic name). Each symbolic link corresponds to the name/mode with which you call the script. Within your script, after any common setup/options handling you call subroutine call_name to call the appropriate script subroutine for the mode.
PUBLIC INTERFACE
Public Class Methods
call_name
call_name(prefix => $prefix, args => $ra_args)call_name accepts two optional arguments:
prefix - string to chop off the script name. Useful if all your modes have a
common prefix (tv_record, tv_play ...)
args - reference to an array which should be passed to the called sub.call_name returns whatever the called subroutine returns.
call_name checks the subroutine it is going to call to ensure it exists. If it does not exist, call name throws an 'exception' using Carp::croak.
INTERNALS
Private Class Methods
_get_name
_get_name(prefix => $prefix)Returns the $PROGRAM_NAME after removing any path, prefix (optional) and extension.
TODO
Make Test::Pod optonal? (skip tests if not installed}
Make module compaitble with earlier perl versions
BUGS
None known at time of writing. To report a bug or request an enhancement use CPAN's excellent Request Tracker:
http://rt.cpan.org/NoAuth/ReportBug.html?Queue=Getopt-CallingName
AUTHOR
Sagar R. Shah
COPYRIGHT
Copyright 2003, Sagar R. Shah, All rights reserved
You can use this module under the same terms as Perl itself.